Was Jesus the world's greatest medium? Do the dead live on in Summerland?

[Pam]

Book excerpt at Beliefnet.com, "Lily Dale" by Christine Wicker. The book is about America's oldest Spiritualist community - a place where it's commonplace to commune with the spirits of dead loved ones.



"Spirits don't often talk about life after death, and the Spiritualists themselves differ on what happens. They don't agree on how long the spirits stick around to converse. Some think spirits aren't available right after death because they're too mixed up about their states. Others think spirits linger for only a short while and then go off to do whatever spirits do. And then there are those who think that the spirits stay available as long as anyone on earth still remembers them."


The entire article at Beliefnet.com:

http://www.beliefnet.com/frameset.asp?pageLoc=/story/126/story_12687_1.html&storyID=12687&boardID=58724

[Koala]

Pam, It's in my pile of books that are waiting to be read. "So many books, so little time." Kim :reader: :wave:

[MJH41]

It's in my pile of books also. There are so many things i want to read and so little time. Guess i will have to just do it as they say!!! It looks like an interesting book.

Mary Jo

[ScubaCat]

I read "Lilydale" about a month ago. While I found a lot of it interesting, it is also disturbing. I know there is a lot of fraud out there in the mediumship field and you must retain your skeptical nature. If I understood this author, she seemed to suggest even those who truly have the gift are not above embellishing to put on a good show. I don't want to spoil the book for those who have not read it. I did find it worthwhile reading, but a bit unsettling.

There was one particular incident that I wish she had investigated further. It seemed to indicate fraud, but the instant she suspected deception (which may have been real) she stopped looking at other amazing occurrences which she never bothered to explain away. Even though I felt there were questions that were left hanging, I still learned a good bit about the history of mediumship and how it can be practiced in small town America.